Face Out

A Wilder Time by William E. Glassley

March 8, 2018

We’re a bit swoony-eyed about A Wilder Time: Notes from a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice by William Glassley. Glassley joins the ranks of naturalist writers who make talking about rocks and lichens sexy with this witty and engrossing memoir of time spent wandering about on Greenland. Even though Glassley tackles the hard sciencey bits of his expedition reports (there’s a section titled “Fractionation,” and he talks effusviely of “shear zones” and “glaciated peaks”), he does so with considerable awareness of his audience (i.e., non-rock nerds). His enthusiasm is infectious and his wonder at this wild place is inspiring.